Eukay's Kitchen

"Easy girl, why have you been so grumpy today?" Peter asked his younger sister Jamila as she banged the door on her way out of the car not minding him one bit, "come here Jamila, I am talking to you" shouted Peter, but Jamila did not say a word as she moved swiftly to her bedroom. Jamila and her Family had just returned from a family friend's birthday party and everyone except Jamila was so excited at the party especially because there was a lot of catching up to do with friends and distant relatives who were also present. No one could understand Jamila's mood swing, she was initially excited about the party but returned looking disappointed. she was not always like this, so dad decided to find out what was wrong with his little girl. " Jam-jam, my own baby girl, the last child of my noble clan, the crown that sits beautifully on my shiny bald head, talk to daddy, kilode (what is it)?" Dad always got away with whatever he wanted calling Jamila

''Madam that onion is not properly chopped naa! can't you see that it's too big? I don't want the onions to be visible, chop it into smaller bits, or better still blend it first.'' These were my mother's words whenever I chopped onions to garnish our meal as a growing girl living in our family house. Mum hated onions so much that it had to be chopped into tiny bits or blended into any meal we prepared if at all. I and my siblings grew up toeing the same line, detesting the world's strongest vegetable, ONION. Finely Chopped Onion   Cut pieces of Onion Come to think of it, what is it about onion that some people detest so much? Is it the strong smell it leaves in ones mouth and hands after handling and consuming, or the tears it brings to the eyes when cutting ? Whatever it maybe, none of these reasons is good enough to ignore this palatable, highly nutritious and lovely looking vegetable especially as there are remedies to the aforementio

I laid on the sofa in my house, staring at the ceiling, the television was on though but my mind seemed very far. My big cousin Jane had just called from Nigeria informing me of her intention to visit my family in England, she also hinted that mum had packaged some 'kinds of stuff' for her to bring to us too. Lying quietly, I tried to imagine what these 'kinds of stuff' could be, I mean, I know my mum, very traditional and all, we still have the bitter kola, Dawa Dawa (locust bean) raw pap and other traditional things she sent to us recently from Nigeria, what could these 'kinds of stuff' be? I won't be happy to throw what was sent with so much love as this will not be fair; I thought. Not too long my phone rang, it was mum. ''Hi mum, hope you are alright,'' I said, ''yes oh, just stress,'' she replied. But I immediately cut in eager to know what Jane meant by 'stuff, ' ''what did you send aunty Jane with,'